About Diane Rinella:
Enjoying San Francisco as a backdrop, the ghosts in USA Today Bestselling Author Diane Rinella’s one hundred and fifty-year old Victorian home augment the chorus in her head. With insomnia as their catalyst, these voices have become multifarious characters that haunt her well into the sun’s crowning hours, refusing to let go until they have manipulated her into succumbing to their whims. Her experiences as an actress, business owner, artisan cake designer, software project manager, Internet radio disc jockey, vintage rock ‘n’ roll journalist/fan girl, and lover of dark and quirky personalities influence her idiosyncratic writing.
What inspires you to write?
As cliché as it sounds, the world does. My first two books, Love’s Forbidden Flower and Time’s Forbidden Flower were inspired by how society chooses to hate what they don’t understand, thus making the lives of others miserable. Something To Dream On was the result of seeing a friend (of adult age) get bullied online (also by someone of adult age) because of her weight. I wanted to show the world, and her, how much stronger she was than the person attacking her. My Rock and Roll Fantasy books are all rooted in the need to be true to yourself, no matter how odd the beat you march to. Can you tell I rebel against the straightforward romance?
Tell us about your writing process.
CHAOS!
I keep a voice recorder, computers, and notepads handy at all times. When words invade my mind, I write them. One of the biggest mistakes new authors make is to worry too much about organization. It can become an excuse that kills productivity. The big trick is to keep yourself organized enough to know where your notes are and what they mean. A poor note is useless.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Oh man. It’s been years since I wrapped my Forbidden Flower series and I still talk to Lily and Donovan. I swear those two are my therapists. Rosalyn from Scary Modsters and I are the same person living in alternate realities. We don’t have to talk to each other because we know what the other thinks. She, Niles, Shane, Christopher, and I all have the best conversations about music. They so get me!
What advice would you give other writers?
First drafts always stink. Do not let yourself get so hung up on the lack of quality in a first draft that you abandon the project. Also, people also ask if they should write a book. Yes. The answer to that is always yes. Now whether or not they should publish is a different story. However, you can’t publish without first writing.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Given the subject matter of my first books (The Forbidden Flower books are civil rights please disguised as romance novels.), publishers would only touch them if I made the situation “more acceptable”. Even though there are other books that touch upon the subject matter of siblings with emotions beyond those considered normal (Flowers In the Attic. Forbidden), I was told the level of honesty I brought to the situation was too much. However, they loved the writing. If the characters were just not siblings …
There was no way I was taking my way of making people question why we make love laws and turn it into a fluff piece. To tell the story I wanted to tell, self-publishing was the only way to go. Given the responses I have received from readers and civil rights groups, I have no regrets.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I’m hoping that people will see the power they have to speak their minds. Truthfully, I think there are enough average girl meets a billionaire werewolf stories. Also, how much formula-driven contemporary romance do we need? Let’s stop writing predictable books and start sharing abstract ideas. Self-publishing brings you power to influence the world. Use it.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: romance / paranormal romance / existential madness
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print, Audiobook
Website(s)
Diane Rinella Home Page Link
Link To Diane Rinella Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
